Bleed
by Dark Amystika
Summary: A new rider shows up in Santa Carla one night, running from a dark past. David is intriguied, but is this newcomer his ally...or his enemy? Please R&R!
1. Newbie

**Disclaimer:**I don't own any "Lost Boys" characters or concepts, etc. etc.

**A/N:** I know that maybe I shouldn't be starting a new story now, but I have terrible Writer's Block concerning all my other ongoing stories. They are all now officially on ice, with the possible exception of "Transfusion". BTW, I know this story may seem to move fast, but I styled it after the movie, which was also pretty fast-moving. Please enjoy!

**Newbie**

A motorcycle, purring like a tiger, split the night as an unfamiliar rider came tearing down the beach towards the pier. A black-clad figure sat astride the 1968 Harley Davidson XLCH, mouth set in grim intensity, gloved hands gripping the handlebars. David watched the figure, intrigued. This was one tough rider, he could tell. The mysterious biker came roaring up onto the pier, popping and holding a wheelie before screeching to a halt just apart from where David and the boys' bikes were parked. David walked up to the rider as he dismounted, kicking the kickstand with his booted heel. His black helmet obscured his face, save for his mouth. David looked at him, sizing him up. Black jeans, black leather jacket with heavy metal zippers on the front pockets and a belt cinched around the waist, black leather gloves with Teflon knuckles, and black Harley Davidson "Night Shift" boots met his appraising gaze.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," said the black rider gruffly. David just smiled.

"Sweet ride you've got," he commented.

"It gets me from here to there," replied the rider. He smiled and asked, "Interesting how you're more interested in my bike than me. Maybe I've finally gone far enough. Or you just don't know what you're looking at."

"What do you mean?" asked David. The rider simply smiled and pulled off his helmet…and _her_ long wine-red hair tumbled down _her_ back. David stared; the biker-girl smiled, her malachite eyes glittering with amusement.

"Surprised?" she asked. "Eh, I suppose you would be. Name's Rayven, by the way. Case you're interested."

"David," David replied, extending his hand. Rayven took it and shook it once firmly, smiling at him.

"I take it you haven't heard of me," commented Rayven. David shook his head, wondering briefly why he should have. "Some call me Venom, 'cus of my eyes," she continued. David had to agree with this: her eyes were infinite swirls of every shade of green, making a venomous look like poison. It sounded familiar…

"Wait, are you that singer from Philly?" he asked.

"Right in one," replied Rayven with a grin.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" asked David. "Did you ride that hog all the way across the country?"

"Yeah I did. I'm just trying to get away for a while, see some stuff, check out places I've never been to before. You know."

David nodded. He did know. He had done it too. How else he had ended up in a rat hole like Santa Carla? He smiled at her.

"So what are you going to do in Santa Carla?" he asked.

"Whatever I want," Rayven replied with a smile. David laughed.

"I like that!" he said. He glanced around. Star was nowhere to be seen. "Y'know where Hudson's Bluff is, overlooking the point?"

"I just got here; I don't know where the _bathrooms_ are," laughed Rayven. "But if you wanna show me the way, I can keep up."

David grinned and swung himself onto his bike. Rayven mounted hers, leaving her helmet off. Laddie had tried it on while she was talking and she decided to let him hold onto it. "You take care of that for me, little man, OK?" she told him. Laddie grinned and nodded eagerly.

David looked at the other boys. "Keep an eye out for Star, K? You bring her home tonight." The boys nodded. David turned then to Rayven. "You ready?" Rayven just grinned and revved her motorcycle. David took off and Rayven followed. Rayven shortly pulled up alongside David, venomous eyes flashing as she laughed.

"C'mon David!" she called. David grinned as she gave a wild howl. Her hair was like claret wine spilled across the night sky as she shook it out behind her. He howled in response to her, both of them laughing at nothing. David continued watching Rayven as she turned her eyes back to the road ahead. He liked this newcomer's spirit. She had more to offer than the other drugged-up whores floating around the cesspool that was Santa Carla. She had more to offer than Star, even! Rayven had a taste for freedom that nothing would suppress. She liked to fly, and wouldn't let anyone hold her down. David smiled to himself. They might just be dusting off that "wine" bottle soon…

Hudson's Bluff loomed ahead. David turned to Rayven with a daring grin, urging her into an unspoken game of Chicken. Rayven looked back and forth between David and the point rapidly, trying to gauge when to stop. Finally she decided that her life was worth more than her dignity and hit the brake. But nothing happened. Her smile vanished and she looked down in horror. She squeezed the brake again, but still nothing.

"What's wrong, Rayven?" shouted David, not having noticed the problem. "Chicken?"

"My brakes!" she yelled. "My brakes don't work!" David looked over quickly, his smirk gone. Rayven repeatedly squeezed the brakes with no effect. Her head snapped up and she gave a cry as she saw how close to the cliff she was getting. She turned her bike sharply, trying to skid to a halt, but it wasn't working. Desperate and terrified, she jumped. Unfortunately, her pant leg was caught on the rim. The bike dragged her with it to the edge of the cliff. She finally wrenched herself free, but the resulting momentum threw her over the edge. She screamed as she plummeted to her death…only to find that she wasn't plummeting. She was hanging upside-down while David gripped her ankle. She looked up at him, eyes wide as she gasped for breath. David's face was tight, his expression firmly set as he held her. She curled up slowly, reaching up for his hand. He grabbed hers and held it in a death grip.

"I'm gonna let go of your ankle," he called. "Be ready to grab my hand."

"O-OK," she called back, her voice catching in her throat. David let go of her ankle and she quickly grabbed his wrist, gicing a small scream as her legs dropped under her. Terrified, she looked down at the waves crashing on the jagged rocks below.

"Don't look at that!" shouted David sharply, bringing Rayven's attention back to him quickly. "Look at me! Keep your eyes on me! Rayven, I will not drop you!" He strongly emphasized these words, tightening his grip on her wrists. He started to pull her up, and she walked up the rock wall as best she could. At last David dragged her back up onto the top of the cliff. She fell back on the grass, gasping, her arms and legs weak. David crawled next to her anxiously. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I think so," Rayven wheezed. She looked up at him gratefully and then threw her arms around his neck and placed a heavy, thankful kiss on his cheek. "You saved my life. Thank you so much; you saved my life."

David put his arms around Rayven, a little surprised but smiling. "Anytime." He held her close, smelling flowers in her hair. Her heart was beating so hard he could feel it against his chest, her blood racing so fast he could hear it. "Oh man, look at you, you're shaking," he said gently. Rayven looked up at him in surprise, then down at herself.

"Wouldn't you, having hung over the side of a steep cliff with sharp pointy rocks beneath you?" she replied.

David smiled secretly. "Maybe. Hey, do you have a place to stay yet?"

"Nuh-uh. I just got here. I didn't know this is where I was going to end up, so I didn't bother to make a reservation somewhere."

"Then why don't you come with me? You can stay at my place. 'N don't worry, just 'cus there's four guys there doesn't mean we're gonna do anything bad. You'll be safe there if I say so."

Rayven looked up at David gratefully. "Sounds great. I will."


	2. Homecoming

**A/N:** Sorry if this is taking a while, my power keeps going out at inconvienient times.

**Homecoming**

"Oh! Where's my bike?"

David glanced around. "Over there." He pointed off in the distance at where Rayven's precious Harley lay on its side in the dirt. "I'll park it with mine. No one'll steal it."

"Thanks." Rayven stood up slowly, still shaking hard. David supported her carefully, sweeping her up in his arms at length.

"Don't worry," he said when she started to protest. "My place isn't that far. I'll come back for your bike. You're shaking too hard to walk right now."

Rayven didn't bother disputing the fact, just laid her head against David's strong shoulder and let him carry her down a steep path into a cave closed off with chain-link fences and warning signs.

"This was the hottest resort in Cali once," David told her, handing her a lighted torch and indicating the cans to light with it. "Unfortunately, it had one little design flaw: they built it on the fault. When the big quake hit Frisco, this place took a swan dive right into the crack. So now it's ours."

'Ours' was punctuated by the hoots and hollers of the other members of the gang rushing in behind them. David set Rayven down on a boulder and offered her a cigarette as Star walked by.

"No thanks," Rayven said to the cigarette. "I don't do cancer sticks." David shrugged good-naturedly and lit the cigarette for himself.

"Hey, if it ain't the Black Knight!" crowed Paul, cackling wildly. Rayven smiled and rolled her eyes.

"And if it ain't Twisted Sister," she answered. The boys a cracked up.

_"Burn,_ baby! She _served_ you, Paul!" laughed Dwayne.

"Boys, be nice," said David with a grin. "After all, there are ladies present." He smiled at Star, but she wasn't paying attention. Rayven just laughed and tossed her claret hair over her shoulder, her malachite eyes glittering. David went up to her and sat across from her. "You okay now?" he asked gently.

Rayven nodded. "I will be." She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks. For everything." She looked around. The others seemed to have lost interest in her and were wrestling, fooling around, ignoring anything that wasn't directly affecting them.

"What are you thinking?"

Rayven looked at David and smiled a bit sadly. "When I was in elementary school, I was the school pariah. I was different from everyone else. My interests were the occult, the supernatural, the macabre. I read about the Jack the Ripper murders when I was six. I started studying nocturnal Wicca when I was seven. I wore occult symbols on my clothes, my jewelry. I drew alchemic symbols and astrological signs on my notebooks. Heh, I remember when the kids played jump rope no one would let me play. So I made up my own little jump rope game. I'd stand by myself singing:

_Liz-zie Bor-den took an axe, and gave her mo-ther for-ty whacks  
One, two, three, four, etc.  
When she saw what she had done, she gave her fa-ther for-ty-one  
One, two, three, etc._

"I spent my childhood deflecting angry, hateful glares. They were trying to tell me, 'How dare you be different from us? How dare you express individuality?'"

"That's rough," sympathized David. After a moment, he ventured to ask, "Does this have anything to do with that scar on your arm?"

"Sort of," Rayven said. "There was a gross birthmark there, bigger than a quarter, dark brown and hairy. Everyone said I was 'diseased' and I had 'warts'. Eventually it got so bad that I tried to scratch it off with my fingernails like an old scab. I came home from school crying, my arm red and swollen and bleeding. I told my mom that if I couldn't have surgery to remove this _thing_ then I'd cut it off myself with a kitchen knife. Mom called the hospital immediately and a few weeks later I was in the O.R. getting my arm carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey."

"Fun," said David in a slightly sarcastic tone. Rayven only shrugged. She raised a long-fingered hand to stifle a yawn. David smiled.

"Tired?" he asked. "I guess you would be. You've been riding that bike of yours all day, haven't you?" Rayven nodded. "Here." He wrapped his black coat around her. "I'll ask Star to set up a place for you. Oh, as for the boys, the dark-haired guy is Dwayne, the one with the mullet is Marko, and Twisted Sister is Paul. The pretty girl over there is Star, and the little boy with your helmet is Laddie."

"Good to know," Rayven replied, not really sure what she was supposed to say since no one else was listening anyway. She was only interested in David anyway. His charisma attracted her, as well as his appearance and cocky attitude. She liked him, there was no doubt about that. And she wasn't afraid to show it either. She smiled at him seductively. David returned the smile, then stood and went over to Star. Rayven watched them carefully. Star was apparently the leader's girl, and the leader was obviously David, but Star didn't seem pleased with the arrangement. Her body language told Rayven that she'd rather be anywhere but where she was. Rayven smiled darkly to herself. This was going to be easy.

"Like him?"

Rayven glanced over her shoulder and saw Paul there. "Yup," she answered. Then she turned to face him fully. "Hey, sorry about the Twisted Sister comment if you took offense."

"Are you kidding? That's the best comeback I've ever heard from a girl!" laughed Paul. "I like you, Rayven. All the boys do. You're something else. There aren't any girls like you around here."

Rayven smiled. "I like to maintain my individuality. I doubt you've ever met a girl like me, or ever will again."

"So why are you all the way out here?" asked Dwayne, coming over. "I heard the music industry was treating you right."

"My health," answered Rayven in a tone that meant 'That's my answer and I'm sticking with it, so please drop it, and leave it alone'. The boys took the hint.

"Aren't you popular," commented David, walking up to the group. "Star's set up a bed for you. Boys, behave. Let the girls sleep." The other boys pretended to groan and protest, but they walked out laughing.

"Thanks," said Rayven.

"No problem," replied David. "'Night."

"'Night." As David left, Rayven walked over to Star. "You're Star, right?"

"Yeah," answered Star.

"I'm Rayven," said Rayven, extending her hand. Star smiled and shook it. "Nice to meet you." She sat down with a sigh on the bed Star had set up. As she pulled off her heavy boots, she casually remarked, "You don't seem to care much for David."

Star looked up very quickly. "What makes you say that?"

"Your body English," replied Rayven. "Look, I know it's not my place to ask so I'll drop it if you want."

Star looked at Rayven for a moment before dropping her gaze. "It's complicated. Suffice it to say that I owe David a lot and he's one to milk something for all it's worth." Rayven nodded.

"Hey, I'm sorry," she said. "I offended you. I appreciate you setting up somewhere for me to sleep."

"It's all right," said Star. "I think it's going to be nice having another girl to talk to finally." She smiled at Rayven, who smiled back as she kicked off her heavy boots. "So what are you doing out here anyway?" Rayven didn't respond for a moment, just looked down at her boots. Star frowned, wondering what she had said wrong. "Rayven?"

"My manager," said Rayven slowly, "was a man of peculiar interests and sudden irrepressible urges. This I knew. What I _didn't _know was that he was a registered sex offender. I didn't know this because he had changed his name and moved across the country. I found out when he tried…to…" she choked for a moment before whispering, "rape me."

"Oh my god," gasped Star, sitting down next to Rayven and hugging her around the shoulders. "That's horrible! That's beyond horrible, that's…that's…oh Rayven, I'm so sorry."

"I killed him," whispered Rayven. She raised a tear-stained face to Star. "I grabbed a letter opener and stabbed him. I had to! He had his hands around my throat; I thought he was going to kill me!"

"It's not your fault," said Star. "You did it to protect yourself. You had to do it; you're not a murderer."

"I came out here to get away," said Rayven. "I just had to get away from the blood splashing all over me. God, that there's so much blood in a body! I could hardly believe it. And my mother came in and found me like that, covered in blood with the knife in my hand. She believed me, though. The media wouldn't leave me alone, and every day I was forced to relieve those horrible moments when they mobbed me for a goddamn dateline story!" She sighed. "That's why I'm all the way out here. I have to give the story some time to die out, lose interest in the public eye. Then I can come back with a vengeance. But for now, I just need…somewhere like this, somewhere with people who live like there's no tomorrow, a life that's so wild and free that I don't even have a chance to think about what happened back there." Star nodded and hugged Rayven tighter.

"Then let's just not think about it anymore," she said. "Let's not talk about it again. Forget I ever asked." Rayven smiled.

"OK." She hugged Star back. "I'm tired. Let's just go to sleep." Star agreed and the girls lay down and fell asleep. And Rayven fell to dreaming.

_Rayven still shook as David carried her down into the subterranean lair. He sat her gently on a comfortable chair and handed her a champagne flute wrapped around with gold wire. He took an ornate bottle from under a small table and filled the glass from it. The liquid was dark red and gave off a tantalizing aroma. Some kind of liquor, maybe, or even liqueur._

_"Drink this," said David as he poured. "It'll help you calm down, relax." Rayven smiled and took a sip. Her eyes widened slightly and she took a longer sip. Licking her lips and staring in wonder at the liquid in her glass, she threw her head back and downed the whole thing. David and the boys were laughing, but they seemed so far away. Someone was chanting her name, and this mingled with the laughter was like strange music. Someone had refilled her glass and she downed in all in one gulp. More and more she drank until she found herself drinking right from the bottle. David held the bottle, tipping it against her lips, urging her to drink more, faster. She stumbled back finally, gasping for breath. David caught her around the waist and swung her around, swinging her from boy to boy as they all danced with her. She grinned, shaking her wine-red hair out behind her._

_And deliciously dark, wicked laughter shook forth from a place in her soul she never knew she possessed…_


	3. Out of the Dark

**A/N:** The untitled song Rayven sings is my own creation, so nobody steal it please (if it's worth stealing, I'm more of a scribbler than a real lyricist). The Latin song she sings, though, belongs to Jim Steinman of 'Meatloaf'. Translation to come in the next chapter.

**Out of the Dark  
**

Rayven woke with an odd craving on her tongue. She licked her lips, wondering what it was she wanted, and wanted badly. Shrugging to no one in particular, she got up, stretched, and found her bag lying on the floor nearby. David must have brought it for her from her bike. She fished around inside for a moment before retrieving a letter she hadn't had the chance to open. With one fingernail she slit the top open, pulled out the letter, and began to read.

Star stirred and woke up with a yawn. She smiled at Rayven, who smiled back and continued to read. "Who's that from?" Star asked.

"My penpal, Breeze," answered Rayven. "She lives in England. Here, she sent me a picture from her birthday." Rayven held out the photo and Star took it curiously. It showed a girl of about 18 with very pale skin, black hair with streaks of electric blue, and sapphirine eyes, wearing a black velvet mini dress by Gothic Lolita with lace up front and jagged hem details.

"Cool," commented Star, handing the photo back. Rayven nodded.

"Apparently this guy Max finally got up the nerve to ask her out," she said. "It's about damn time, too. He's been crushing on her for weeks." Rayven folded up the letter and picture and slid them neatly back into the envelope. She put this back in her bag and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. She put the end of the pen thoughtfully between her lips, folding her legs Indian-style and staring hard at the paper. Grinning suddenly, she started scribbling as she sang softly to herself:

_"So you think you got the best of me,  
Well, honey, think again!  
Come back to reality  
I'll make you pay, amen!  
You tried to tame me, run me down  
You thought I'd break and kneel  
Well now I've got you lying facedown  
I'll bring you to heel!_

_Try to forget, but I'll never let you  
You'll never outrun what you've done  
My face will haunt you in your darkest nightmares  
Sweet vengeance has only begun!_

_The grave you dug me wasn't deep enough  
Now I'm back to make your life hell!  
You never knew what it means to be tough  
Now fall under my black vengeance spell!  
I curse you forever, all that now awaits you  
Is naught but nightmares and despair  
You'll only know how everyone hates you  
When you think you're alone, I'll be there!_

_Try to forget, but I'll never let you  
You'll never outrun what you've done  
My ghost will follow you wherever you go  
This battle is already won!_

_Say you're sorry, beg forgiveness,  
Remorse comes far too late!  
Curse your soul into black Hell  
And I'll be there to lock the gate!_

_Try to forget, but I'll never let you  
I'm the cold finger tracing your spine  
You'll never outrun what you did to me  
Every face you see will be mine!  
Every face you see will be mine!  
Every face you see will be mine!"_

Rayven smiled with satisfaction. "I've been so uninspired lately; I can't believe I finally finished that song!"

Star took a look. "I like it," she said. "It's very passionate."

"Thanks," said Rayven with a pleased smile. "Talking about why I left Philly, I thought about what might have happened if I hadn't grabbed the letter opener. I've always been fascinated with the supernatural and I've had more than one ghostly encounter, so I thought about what I'd do if I had died and became a ghost." Star only nodded thoughtfully. Rayven got up and stretched out again. "I'm going to find out what David did with my bike. I want to see about fixing that brake." Star nodded again and Rayven went topside, singing softly to herself:

_"Carpe Noctem, lamia!  
Decet diem exsecrari  
Sanguim suga, belua!  
Debet pravum exsequari  
Inquiem perpetuum dona nobis, Satanas__  
Bestia diaboli, dona nobis damnationem!"_

Rayven found her bike chained to the gate that was meant to block off the cave entrance. Sitting cross-legged on the rocks, she started fiddling with the wires that connected the brakes to the handles. A commotion above at the top of the cliff distracted her and, curious, she climbed up to see what was what. She saw David and the other boys fighting with a bunch of junky skinheads. She frowned, wondering what was going on…until she saw the boys' faces. Their eyes were red and yellow, their faces contorted almost beyond recognition, and their teeth elongated into knifelike fangs. These they used to tear the skinheads apart, blood spraying everywhere as the boys laughed. Rayven stared in horror.

"My god," she whispered. "They're _vampires!"_


	4. Sweet Cancer

**Sweet Cancer**

For a long while Rayven just sat and stared after the boys, not fully grasping what she had seen. Finally it came to her that the boys she had been sleeping in the very midst of were vampires and had just torn a gang of strong young men to pieces. And what was to keep her from being next! She had no way of knowing what they intended to do to her. Maybe one of them had rigged her bike so the brakes wouldn't work! But then, there were no signs of foul play and besides, if they wanted to kill her they could have done it by now. That's not to say they wouldn't at all, just that they could have easily. What were they doing? What sick game had she landed in? And what would they do to her when they found out that she was-

The sudden wild laughter and howls of the vampire boys brought Rayven's attention back with a jolt. Knowing she couldn't let them see her, she bolted back down into the cave and threw herself down on her bed, pretending to be asleep. She heard and felt the air rushing as the boys literally flew into the cave and went into some hidden chamber she hadn't seen before. She opened her eyes tentatively and sat up slowly. Sunlight was just beginning to spill into the mouth of the cave. She was safe.

_'For now…'_

Quickly she threw her things together into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and rushed back out to her bike. Working rapidly with shaking hands, she tried to fix the brake line so she could get out of there. It took about an hour, but she finally had the brakes reconnected and was roaring away. Where to, she had no idea, but she knew she couldn't stay with those boys, those _vampire_ boys.

But then…

David had saved her life when she thought she was going to die. He had given her a place to stay when all anyone had given her were dirty looks. Paul had even said they all liked her, that she was something special, and there was no lie in his eyes. So what the hell were they all playing at? What did they _really_ want? Why had they let her into their lair when she could easily have found out what they really were? So many questions burned in her that she stopped trying to answer any of them and just rode. All day she rode, not knowing what she was doing or where she was going. She was just trying to outride her whirling emotions. She liked David, she really did, but they just weren't compatible! She was _alive,_ for the love of hell!

Then again, there was a very easy solution to that…Rayven shook her head to clear it. She didn't want to think about David or anything for a few hours. She just wanted to escape.

Rayven roared up onto the pier and spent the day wandering in and out of stores and arcades, getting offered drugs right and left, and being asked to "take a walk". One guy was so insistent that she was obliged to slam her knee into his groin to make him desist. For a long while she walked on the beach with her hands in her pockets, until she finally took off her jacket and sat down on the sand to think. And think she did. She thought for a long time as she watched the sun sink into the horizon. She thought as the stars began to shine into the jet black sky. She thought as the moon rose out of the sea like a mythical beast. And then she rose and donned her jacket again. She knew what she had to do.

She went back to the cave.

The boys were all being rowdy and rude as usual (or what Rayven assumed was usual) when Rayven entered again. Without a word she slipped into their midst and took a seat on a boulder. She wondered if anyone had noticed she was gone at all. Discreetly she slipped a cigarette out of the pack that was sticking out of David's coat pocket and lit it in one of the trashcan fires, breathing in deep. David noticed and smiled.

"I thought you said you don't do cancer sticks," he commented.

"I can learn," replied Rayven. David laughed, regarding Rayven thoughtfully.

"You seem tense. You all right?" he asked. Rayven shrugged, trying not to cough on the cigarette smoke.

"Rough night," she answered tersely. David nodded understandingly.

"Well if you want, we'll show you more of Santa Carla tonight," he offered. Rayven just nodded vaguely, staring off in the distance. David frowned. "Rayven, what's really bothering you? C'mon, tell me."

Rayven turned to face him slowly, looking him squarely in the eye. "I saw you last night, David. I saw all of you. I know what you did. I know what you are."

David only stared at her for a moment. "Is that a problem?" he asked at length.

"A little!" cried Rayven. "David, do you know my last name?"

"Venator. So what?"

_"Venator_ is Latin for 'hunter'. My family's history is red with massive bloodshed because they were all vampire hunters. Every generation of my family has been trained to hunt down and kill your kind without getting killed in the process. This has been so for hundreds of years."

Again David stared at her. "Then why are you different?" he demanded. "Why haven't you tried to kill us?" Rayven looked at the burning cylinder in her fingers.

"Because I'm not human. Not entirely. My mother is – was – a vampire. Murdered by my father."

"By your…" repeated David softly, wonderingly.

"Yes. She was human when they were married, and when she got pregnant with me. During that pregnancy, however, she was bitten and turned by a vampire half-drunk on an alcoholic's blood. He didn't know what he was doing, but my father did. After I was born, he killed Mom. He put a stake in the heart of his own wife, the woman he had vowed to love and protect. For years I never knew the truth. Then, when I turned sixteen and went on my first solitary vampire hunt, I happened upon the selfsame vampire who had turned my mother. He told me the truth, and since I had always known there was something different about me, I believed him. I confronted my father and he confessed the whole thing. He also confessed to giving me chemical substances to suppress my vampiric qualities. He insisted that he did it "for her own good" and that "she would have wanted it that way" and that it was the best for me. I didn't believe him. I didn't have any reason to. He had lied to me all my life. I didn't kill him, though the thought crossed my mind. I turned my back on him and everything he had ever taught me. I washed my hands of the life I used to know and left him behind in a cloud of dust. I managed to get a gig singing, and then it turned into a career, so I've been rocking around the country ever since, until my manager tried to rape me and I gutted him with a letter opener and ended up here trying to escape the nightmares about rivers of blood."

"Whoa!" cried David "That's just…whoa!"

"Yeah," said Rayven. "But I can't take it anymore. I want a second chance at the life I never had. I can't take being half of something, half of something else, and coming up as a complete nothing. I can never be human. But I _can_ be a vampire." She looked at David, locking his eyes with her poison-green ones. "I want it, David. Please give it to me. I want to be with you."

David could only stare at her for a while before his old arrogant smirk returned. "Well, since you asked so nicely…" he said, grinning. His face contorted into the mask of the vampire. "Boys! We have an initiation tonight!"

"No!" cried Star, but she was drowned out by the howls and laughter of the rest of the vampires as they too showed their true natures. Grinning, they all gathered around Rayven in a tight circle. David took her hands and pulled her to her feet. Playfully he pushed her backwards into Dwayne's arms. Dwayne wrapped one arm around her and held the other wrist, dripping blood, to her mouth. Rayven eagerly drank from the gash, tasting the same sweet elixir that she had in her dream. Dwayne pulled away suddenly and pushed her to Paul, who gave her his blood as well. On it went as Rayven was passed back and forth around the circle until she finally landed, dizzy and giddy, in David's arms. With his own fingernails he sliced his throat and she drank from him lustily. Her senses were reeling, her head spinning, she didn't even realize it when she fell backwards and the boys lifted her high above them. She heard her name being chanted as she was pumped in the air. Through it all, she heard David's voice whispering, "Rayven…Rayyyvennnn…" mysteriously.

And he laughed.


	5. Playing the Game

**AN:** So sorry about the delay, but it's going to happen. I have a lot of work to do for school and colleges, so this might take a while.

**Playing the Game**_  
_

_"This unrequited existence is tearing me apart!  
All these harlequin leers are burning my eyes  
I can't take this; I have to get out!  
Then the report of the gun shatters the night  
And like drops of blood fall fragments of the moon_

_But who says it makes a difference?_

I'm falling, and there's no one to catch me now  
They're all dead and left me behind  
I'm falling, through the veil of sanity  
And I'm starting to think that I'm losing my mind!"

Rayven's voice pierced the night, a lovely high-pitched wail over the crowd's heads as they screamed for more. She had passed out the night before in David's arms, the last thing she saw being his triumphant grinning face. When she woke she could feel the new blood pounding in all her veins. She wanted to go out roaring around Santa Carla on her motorcycle, but Star managed to talk her down. She warned Rayven that such actions would draw too much negative attention to her. But nothing could stop Rayven from sauntering back into the limelight at the soonest possible moment. There was a karaoke contest going on along the pier, and Rayven just couldn't resist singing one more time.

The crowd screamed in delight, loving her. Her voice rattled the stars and shook the moon, pounding in their hearts and blood and threatening the equilibrium of the brain. Rayven shook out her hair, throwing her head back and letting the roar of the crowd wash over her like a wave on the beach. She felt better than ever before. She began to laugh, dark and evil laughter as she ended her song, diving off the stage into the arms of the audience. They carried her along, chanting her name, until she heard a familiar heartbeat. David had her in his arms, smiling at her exhilaration.

"It only gets better, sugar," he told her, bringing her down. "C'mon, let's go."

"But what about my encore?" Rayven joked, laughing. David just smiled and rolled his eyes playfully.

"We don't want too much attention drawn to us. Besides, there's someone you have to meet now." David led Rayven along the boardwalk to the rat hole video store that Max owned. Max was behind the counter, sorting a new shipment, when David brought Rayven inside. Max looked up and frowned.

"I thought I told you to stay out of here," he said sternly.

"I just wanted you to meet someone," David answered smoothly. "Max, this is Rayven. She's my new girl. Rayven, this is Max."

"Hello," said Rayven pleasantly, wanting to make a good impression. She could tell that while David may be the leader of the pack, Max was the head vampire. A total square, but still very powerful.

Max smiled and extended his hand, which Rayven shook once firmly. "A pleasure to meet you, Rayven."

"Likewise, sir," Rayven replied. She hated the formality, but knew it would be a good idea to get on the good side of the head vampire of Santa Carla if she wanted things to go well. Max laughed.

"Oh, no need to call me 'sir'," he said. "Just Max is fine. I'm glad David finally found a nice girl. Maybe now he'll settle down a bit."

"Unlikely," laughed Rayven.

David grinned. "This girl came roaring into Santa Carla on a 1968 Harley Davidson XLCH. She's not the quiet type." Max laughed.

"Well, a father can always hope." He studied Rayven for a moment before giving an approving nod. "Still, I like the look of you, Rayven. Welcome to the family."

"Thank you." Rayven gave Max the same appraising look just to even the score. He looked like a complete geek, the kind who gets beaten up and thrown in a trash can after school, but she knew better than to underestimate him. Max had taken four strong young men and made them vampires; that was no mean feat. He was a force to be reckoned with. She would have to be careful around him for a while.

"C'mon Ray, let's go have some fun," said David, taking Rayven's hand. She waved good-bye to Max and left with David. As they walked towards David's bike, Rayven noticed Star watching them with an unreadable expression on her face. She seemed relieved that someone else was riding behind David tonight. The last two nights since Rayven had woken up with the blood of four vampires pounding in her veins, Star seemed to be drifting away from David while Rayven moved closer. Rayven just smirked playfully and climbed on behind David, wrapping her arms around his waist. With a whoop, David gunned the engine and they roared away into the night. Rayven shook her hair out, loving the feeling of it flying out behind her. David looked back at her with a grin.

"I want to show you something," he said. "And I know you're gonna love it." He took her far out to Hudson's Bluff, away from all others. He climbed off the bike and Rayven followed suit.

"What are we doing out here?" she asked, curiously.

"I'll show you," answered David. He put his arms around her waist. "Hold onto me and don't let go." She slipped her arms around his neck uncertainly. When she was secure, David slowly rose off the ground. Rayven gasped and clung tighter to David, who smiled and held her closer. He carried her over the ocean, holding Rayven carefully. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "You're safe with me. I promise I won't let you fall."

Slowly Rayven began to relax and take in the sights. It was beautiful from so high up. The lights sparkled on the boardwalk like a string of diamonds. The water shimmered like silk blowing in the wind. The stars glittered around the shining glass moon. It was amazing. Rayven gazed around, open-mouthed in wonder. She looked up at David, stunned. He smiled.

"You like it?" he asked softly. Rayven nodded mutely, struck dumb by the experience. "I knew it when I first saw you. You like to fly." Rayven laughed softly, leaning in closer to David.

"David, I…" she said softly, not knowing what to say. David accepted this, gently tilting Rayven's chin up, gazing into her malachite eyes. Slowly he leaned in to her and their lips met. They held tighter to each other, deepening the kiss. After a moment, Rayven opened her eyes but didn't break the kiss. She smiled to herself.

Things were going exactly as planned. She was winning.


	6. His Ally or his Enemy?

**His Ally or his Enemy?**

David and Rayven drifted over Santa Carla for a while, just enjoying the sight, the sensation, and being close to each other. Rayven rested her head on David's shoulder, smiling contentedly. Actually, if David had looked, her expression more resembled that of a cat that's just eaten a bird. She was planning something. Still, they made a cute picture together.

Eventually David landed on the beach a few yards away from a junk bonfire where a group of Surf Nazis were boozing and smoking weed, laughing like idiots. Paul, Marko, and Dwayne were already there waiting.

"So are we doing this or what?" said Paul. "I'm hungry!" David just smiled and turned to Rayven.

"What?" she asked, looking around. All eyes were on her. Suddenly she understood: they wanted her to move first. They wanted her to kill. "Oh! Uh, you want me to…you want it to be one of them?"

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" teased Dwayne.

"They're…disgusting," said Rayven, her lip curling. David laughed.

"That's why we're getting rid of them," he said. "Think of it as our debt to society." That set off the group into gales of laughter. The surfers were so drunk they didn't even notice.

Rayven shook her head. "Sorry David, I just don't think I can."

David shrugged. "Hey, everyone comes into it at their own pace. Of course, I'm sure you won't mind if we…?"

"Help yourselves," Rayven replied casually. The boys took to the air and descended on the band of good-for-nothings. Rayven watched with interest as the vampires tore the Nazis to pieces, the sand soon running red with blood. The ocean would wash it away as soon as the tide came in, so there was no worry about that. Laughing, wild with bloodlust, the boys threw the bodies into the fire. Rayven blinked in surprise as the flames roared up in different colors. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, but it didn't repulse Rayven as it once might have. Rather it smelled delicious to her, like steaks on a grill. She found herself smiling, walking across the sand to her friends. Grinning at them, she started to dance, whirling around the fire with a fervor she had never known before. She grabbed David's hands and he danced with her. The others threw themselves into it as well, hooting and laughing, howling at the stars.

They spent the remainder of the night tearing up Santa Carla, roaring around on their bikes and just having fun. Rayven was exhausted, but happier than ever when they finally picked up Star and Laddie on the boardwalk and went back to the cave. Laddie opted to ride with Rayven, which she didn't mind at all, while Star took her usual place behind David. She looked back at Rayven for a moment before they started off. Rayven gave Star a dark smile and revved her engine. Star looked away as they all tore through the night. The boys retired to their cave in the back while Laddie, Star, and Rayven went to their beds in the main cave. Rayven propped herself up on her elbow, one leg dangling off the side of the bed while the other was bent upwards as she regarded Star.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" she commented thoughtfully. Star looked up in surprise.

"Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Because of the way you look at me," replied Rayven. "Is this because of David and me? I thought you said you didn't like him, but if I was wrong-"

"No, no, it's not like that," said Star. She sighed. "I didn't want them to do this to you because I thought it would be something bad, but now I'm confused. David tricked me into this, along with Laddie. I wanted to save you from it, but I never thought you'd want it yourself."

"I was already half vampire when I got here," Rayven answered. "My mom was bitten when she was pregnant with me by a master vampire. He passed on the 'curse' to her, and therefore to me. My father staked Mom just after I was born. He didn't expect me to find out the truth."

"Oh god," whispered Star, her eyes wide. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

Rayven shrugged. "Makes no difference now. Mom's dead, and Dad's dead to me. I came out here to get away from my old life, and David offered me a new one. Actually, I asked for it. I saw him and the others feeding the other night. I realized that I was sick of being a half-breed _nothing,_ so I asked him to make me like him. I can never be human, but I can be a vampire. I just want to be _something._ They took me to feed tonight, did you know that? I didn't; I found their choice of entrée unappetizing. But I'm sure I'll find something else. In the meantime-" she added, stretching out, closing her eyes, and folding her arms behind her head "-I've never felt so good in my life. I've got friends, for once. I've got people who care about me. So what if they're vampires; I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, y'know? And my penpal Breeze, from England, said she's coming to America for a while. Life is good." Star just smiled faintly. Rayven wasn't like anyone else she'd ever met, but it was nice to have a gal pal again.

"I don't dislike you, Rayven," she said, Rayven opened one eye, the other brow cocked with interest. "I'm just confused is all. I didn't realize that you asked David for this, or that you had a good reason for it."

"You don't like the boys?" asked Rayven. Star gave a little half nod.

"Sometimes." She sighed. "I don't want to be what I am, or what they are. That's why I keep fighting."

"You're a half vampire!" Rayven said, realizing it suddenly and sitting up. Star gave a shrug-and-nod combination. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Don't know," Star answered. "I meant to, I guess, but I just…didn't."

Rayven regarded Star for a moment before getting up and giving the older girl a hug. Star smiled and returned the hug.

"Don't worry about it," said Rayven gently. "Everything's gonna be OK, you'll see. I'll take care of David. He won't bother you anymore."

"Honestly, I think he likes you more than he ever liked me," said Star. "But that's OK. He's really not for me, I know that now. You can have him."

"Thanks," laughed Rayven, leaning back. "Usually I just take what I want, but it's always good to have permission." She stretched and yawned. "Ahhh'm going to bed," she said through a yawn.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Star.

"'Night," said Rayven, lying down in her bed.

"'Night," answered Star.

Rayven closed her eyes but didn't sleep. Instead, she waited patiently for Star and Laddie to fall deeply asleep before slipping out of the cave. She took to the air and flew to the boardwalk, careful not to attract attention. She landed behind some of the buildings and walked out casually, her hands in her pockets. Actually, her hands were in other people's pockets more than her own, stealing some loose change from those who passed too close. Smiling darkly, she walked up to a payphone, dropped in her ill-gotten coins, and punched in a number.

"Yes, hi, I'd like to speak to Richard Venator please," she said with false sweetness to the woman who answered. After a pause, she said, "It's his daughter." She waited a moment before she was reconnected. "Hi Dad," she said in her own voice. "Surprised? …I thought you might be. Look, I wanted to say I'm sorry about running out like I did. I was just so angry at you. You did lie to me all my life, you know. …I know you thought it was for my own good, but I think I deserved to know the truth. …Fine, fine, I get it. …The reason I called is that I want to make peace with you. So I have something for you. Something you've been looking for for a long time. You remember Maximillian? The one who bit Mom? Well, he goes by 'Max' now, and he owns a video shop in Santa Carla. …Yes, that's where I am now. And he's no longer without a weakness. Now he has four. Their names are Paul, Marko, Dwayne, and David…"


	7. Quoth the Rayven

**A/N:** I am SO SORRY for the delay, but I've been completely uninspired lately and haven't had much chance to write.

**Quoth the Rayven**

Rayven was smiling smugly, her hands in her pockets as she sauntered back into the cave later. She felt very satisfied indeed. Her father would be in Santa Carla by the next night at the latest, and then she'd be able to complete her business. Yes, everything was going very well for her.

She stretched out on her bed and relaxed, almost giddy with excitement. She could hardly wait to see her father again. They had so much to talk about now that she was a vampire. Maybe he'd think that she could be that much more useful for hunting other vampires. And maybe he'd want her to take over Santa Carla from Max. So many maybes. What an interesting and enlightening conversation she was in for when her father arrived. After being away so long, she just hoped that he would understand why she had become what she was.

"You seem pleased with yourself."

Rayven opened one eye and saw Paul standing over her. "Back to the crypt, ye demon of hell," she said amiably. Paul laughed.

"Seriously, you look like the cat that got the canary," he said. "What's up?"

"The sun. And it'll sizzle you like a sausage if you're not careful," Rayven replied. Laughing, she added, "I'm just planning a little surprise, is all."

"Really? What kind of surprise?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Now go back to your coffin."

Paul laughed and left. Rayven smiled and fell asleep with devious thoughts bubbling in her head. When she woke night had fallen. She knew that David and the others had already gone out for 'breakfast', so she went out, straddled her Harley, and rode to the boardwalk to look for her father. It took some time, but she finally found him outside Max's store.

"Hi Daddy," she said, walking up to him. Richard started and spun to face her. He smiled broadly when he saw her.

"Rayven," he said, opening his arms to her. Rayven smiled back and hugged him tightly. "Baby, I missed you so much! I'm sorry for what I did, but it was only to protect you. It was all because I love you, sweetie, you understand?"

"Of course I understand," Rayven said reassuringly. "You don't need to explain it. I just needed some time to clear my head. You know how I am."

"Yes," laughed Richard. "Yes, I know. Oh sweetie, I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too, Dad," Rayven said with a smile. "Me too." She gave him one last squeeze before stepping back to look him in the eyes. "Maximillian isn't here right now. I think it's his night off or something. Or he's gone out for breakfast."

Richard's face darkened. "Well, where are his children, these boys you told me about? We should exterminate them quickly, before Maximillian has a chance to protect them."

"From what I've seen, they can protect themselves. They live in a cave under an old resort that fell through the fault during the big quake. I've got my bike; I'll lead the way."

A few minutes later Rayven was roaring across the sand with her father following in his truck. If he had been able to see more than her back, he would have seen the twisted smile she wore. She was planning something more than she was saying. However, Richard would have just attributed it to her thrill for the hunt. He was walking on clouds. His daughter had forgiven him, they were together again, and they were going to hunt vampires together. What could possibly go wrong?

Rayven screeched to a stop by the cliff. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating. She could sense David's blood in her veins, and she used it to call to him, tell him that he and the others needed to come back to the cave immediately. After a moment she felt his response: they were on their way. Grinning, Rayven dismounted from her bike and turned to her father. He bailed out of the truck and approached her. Rayven held a finger to her lips and pointed to the cave mouth. Richard nodded and followed her into the cave. She lit the trashcan fires one by one. There was no one there.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Richard.

"Trust me; I know," Rayven asserted. "They'll be here soon, I guarantee it."

"How can you be so sure?" Richard persisted.

"You taught me everything, remember?" replied Rayven. Richard laughed.

"That's my girl." He hugged her with one arm affectionately. Rayven just smiled to herself.

It wasn't long before the boys returned, with their customary hollers and shouts of laughter as they roared into the cave. They stopped at the cave entrance, staring at Rayven standing with Richard.

_"You!"_ shouted David in fury. "What the hell are you doing?! What is this?!"

"Ah David, I see you remember my father," said Rayven coolly.

"Oh, I remember him," said David, his eyes still fixed on Richard. "He tried to kill us."

"And now it's time to finish the job," sneered Richard. "Go on, Rayven."

"I'm going," Rayven answered, walking to David's side and turning to smirk at her thunderstruck father. "And I'm here. It is finished, Father dear. This is my choice." Her smile grew cold and faded away to a look of pure undiluted hate. "Murderer," she hissed, her eyes turning red. "You murdered my mother."

Richard stepped back in horror. "What have they done to you?!" he cried. "They've poisoned you!"

Rayven laughed, but it was a hard, metallic sound, full of pain and anger. "You poor idiot! I _asked_ for this! And David welcomed me with open arms. How in the hell could I possibly forgive you? After all the hell you put me through! _You_ poisoned me, lying to me all my life, drugging me so I wouldn't know just what I really am." Rayven advanced on her father, her face twisting into the visage of a hunting vampire. "It ends now."

"Rayven, pumpkin, sweetie, you wouldn't kill your own father!" protested Richard, backing away from his daughter in fear.

"Why not?" Rayven retorted. "You killed your own wife. Did she want to die? Did she ask you to "free" her? Or did you go to her while she was sleeping and drive a railroad spike into her heart?"

"It was for her own good! And yours!" cried Richard.

That was the worst thing he could possibly have said. With a scream of fury, Rayven lunged at her father and hoisted him up by the front of his shirt. "Quoth the raven 'Nevermore', motherfucker!" she snarled before viciously ripping out his throat with her fangs. She drank his blood, pulling hard and fast at the artery.

_'Do you realize now?'_ she asked him in his mind. _'You're nothing but a bloodthirsty killer. You kill and kill without even thinking about it. You killed Mom without even hesitating. I won't waste the deaths. I take the worst that Santa Carla has to offer – the killers, the drug dealers, the lowest life forms – and I turn them into something useful. They feed my hunger. They die so the innocent can live. And so will you. Your death will make me a full vampire. Good night, Father.'_

Rayven dropped her father's body with a gasp, stumbling back with wide eyes as the death slammed into her with the force of a bullet. David went to steady her.

"Easy, easy," he said, rubbing her arm. "Just let it happen. I guess I shoulda warned you about that. You'll get used to it."

Rayven's mouth moved, but no sound came out. The world was brightening, sharpening. She was seeing colors and dimensions she had never even imagined. She could hear everything. She could feel the very fabric of the air around her. She looked at her hands in wonder, as though she never realized that they were there. Finally everything began to settle out and Rayven looked at David. Licking the blood off her lips, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly. David locked his arms around her waist and returned the kiss, biting her lip and licking away the blood. Rayven pulled away after a moment and shook her wine red hair out behind her. Grinning devilishly, David seized her and swept her up in his arms, spinning her around and around, rising into the air. Her own father's blood pounding in her veins, Rayven wrapped her arms around David's neck.

And laughed…


End file.
